The novellas and short stories of Lev Tolstoy written after "Anna Karenina," from his mature period, reflect the Tolstoyan spirit in all its breadth.
The stories escape the Russian setting of the time in which they take place, delving deeply into human nature and becoming "universal." The clarity of prose, the unmatched craftsmanship, the deliberately simple style, the realism, and the analysis - a constant tool of the author - provide us with exquisite texts, some of which are rightly considered masterpieces.
This volume includes texts written in chronological order from 1884 to 1903: "The Notes of a Madman," "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," "The Kreutzer Sonata," "The Devil," "Master and Man," "Father Sergius," and "After the Dance." Additionally, it features a letter from Rainer Maria Rilke describing a meeting with Tolstoy, as well as an extensive chronology with biographical details.
[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]
